Officials identify man and officer in deadly Bel Air police-involved shooting

HARFORD COUNTY, Md. (WBFF) — The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General identified the man who was fatally shot and the officer involved in Saturday’s police-involved shooting in Bel Air.

The man was identified as 57-year-old Francisco Aparicio-Munoz, of Bel Air.

The involved officer was identified as Officer Christopher Birch, of the Bel Air Police Department. Officials said Birch has served two months with the BAPD and has three years of law enforcement experience. He’s currently assigned to the Uniform Patrol Division.

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Around 9 p.m. on August 15, Officer Birch conducted a traffic stop on Aparicio-Munoz in the 300 block of Franklin Street.

During the stop, authorities said the officer fired his weapon, hitting the suspect.

Police provided aid until emergency medical services arrived and transported the man to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

The officer also sustained injuries and was treated at a hospital, officials said.

The fatal police-involved shooting remains under investigation by the IID.

Anyone with information about this shooting, including cell phone or private surveillance video, is asked to call the IID at (410) 576-7070 or email IID@oag.maryland.gov.

Officials said Officer Birch was equipped with a body-worn camera. There’s also private cell phone video from the shooting.

The IID generally releases body-worn video footage within 20 business days of an incident. There may be situations where more than 20 days is necessary, according to officials.